Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Miami Ohio
Bucknell Baseball Tops Miami (Ohio) 4-2
3/14/2003 7:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 14, 2003
BRADENTON, Fla. - Bucknell rebounded from a 9-7 defeat Thursday with an impressive 4-2 victory over Miami University of Ohio Friday morning. Senior co-captain R.J. Grant got the win for Bucknell, allowing just two runs on seven hits in 6 2/3 innings of work. Freshman Phil Futrick recorded the save, his second of the season. Ben Stoll led the Bison offense with three hits and two runs scored. Freshman Kyle Walter drove in three runs on two clutch base hits.
Bucknell got on the board in the bottom of the third with an impressive two-out rally. With two outs Stoll and Sam Moss smacked back-to-back singles. The Bison 1-2 hitters then executed a double steal to put runners on second and third for Walter. Walter slapped a single through the right side to drive in both runners.
Two innings later freshman Chris Grandizio led off with a walk. After an out, Stoll ripped another single putting runners on first and second. Walter came up again with two outs and executed the hit and run perfectly, poking a base hit through the hole on the right side to drive home Grandizio. Brian Day then singled to drive in Stoll and put the Bison up 4-0.
Grant kept the Redhawk hitters off balance all day, and Miami did not threaten to score until the top of the seventh when they pushed across two runs. With two outs, a double and walk put Miami runners on first and second. Back-to-back singles drove in both runs and brought Futrick into the game to end the threat. Futrick struck out the next Redhawk batter to end the inning and keep the Bison up 4-2.
Bucknell went down in order in the seventh and eighth innings, but Futrick held Miami to one hit in their final two innings to earn the save. Futrick struck out three Redhawks in 2 1/3 innings of relief.
With the win Grant evened his record at 1-1. Grandizio collected his first collegiate hit, a single in the sixth, in his first start in left field.
Bucknell plays its final game of the spring trip Saturday at 2 p.m. versus the University of Vermont at Ed Smith Stadium, the spring training home of the Cincinnati Reds.
